Double Reality
by Aurum-Animi
Summary: Aisleen has always been a dreamer, an escapist. She always felt powerless against the world. So then what will happen when she "escapes" into Tortall, meets her idol, and then discovers she has to save, not one world, but two?
1. Chapter 1

Hello all, this is the Aurum half of Aurum-Animi, and I'm bringing you what I hope to be a fairly entertaining story! For the record though, I do not own any of Tamora Pierce's work. That includes Tortall and it's neighbouring countries, Keladry of Mindelan, Nealan of Queenscove, Irnai, the Chamber of the Ordeal... none of it. It is not mine. Aisleen, on the other hand, is my character and my character alone. So please don't sue me. I have no money. Also, reviews motivate me. A lot.

}o{

Again she came home in tears. Again she felt humiliated, stupid, and weak. And again she threw herself into the world of fantastic heroines, dreaming that she might one day be like them.

Aisleen, age seventeen, was used to this routine, but it was still painful. Every day she'd go to school, and get bullied because she was a gangly, geeky girl. And what could she do about it? Anything she tried saying was twisted and thrown back in her face, and physical fighting was out of the question. She was simply too weak.

So, every day when she got home, she would lock herself in her room and read. She would read of heroines, strong-willed girls who did great things, in the name of justice. But of course, not just any story would do. No, Aisleen was a dedicated fan of Tamora Pierce, namely a fan of the works done in the fantastical realm of Tortall and it's neighbouring countries. She simply couldn't get enough of them, and admired the heroines that Tamora Pierce crafted.

Today she reverted to her favorite heroine for comfort, Keladry of Mindelan. Her story had been the first to pull Aisleen into Tortall, and had remained her favorite above all others. Aisleen loved how determined and thoughtful Keladry was; not only that, but she was hard-working too. Aisleen wanted to be like that, one day.

A knock on her door distracted her from her adventure through the palace in Corus.

She went to answer it. It was her mother's maid.

"Your mother would like to see you," she said stiffly.

"Okay," Aisleen responded quietly.

She trudged up the stairs, wondering what her mother would have to say to her this time. She never talked to her eldest daughter unless it was to criticize her. She reached the landing of the stairs, turned right, and softly knocked on the door of her mother's room.

"Come in," came in the sharp reply.

Aisleen entered, and, closing the door behind her, tried to stand straight and flatten the flyaway strands of hair on her head.

"You wanted to see me, Mother?" Aisleen asked timidly.

Her mother looked at her in such a way that Aisleen felt she was being looked down upon. "I'm sure that _I _didn't teach you to dress that way, Aisleen Leighann."

Aisleen cringed at the sound of her middle name. She hated it, and she thanked the heavens that her mother hadn't had her way and made it her first name. Otherwise she remained silent, knowing that if she said anything in her own defense it would end badly for her.

"I hope you plan to dress better this Saturday," her mother continued, sitting in front of her vanity and powdering her face for some reason or another.

"This Saturday, Mother?" Aisleen questioned. She wasn't aware of anything happening this Saturday.

"Yes, Aisleen Leighann. This Saturday I'm taking you to a business lunch, since you _are _my eldest daughter. I know a few people who are bringing their sons, of course, and other's their own daughters, but I won't have _my _daughter shown up by a bunch of hussies," her mother explained crisply.

"Mother," Aisleen said in a tone that bordered on whining. "This is the twenty-first century, why are you trying to marry me off like a medieval bride?"

Her mother's attention snapped to the girl before her. "Because, Aisleen Leighann, you're not going to amount to much in life, and while there's nothing I can do about _that, _I can at least make sure you get taken care of. I won't have people saying that I don't take care of my children."

Her words stung, but not as badly as the first time they'd been shot at Aisleen. She was in tears for days, not to mention grounded because she'd spoken against them.

This time, she just looked down and said, "I understand, Mother."

"Good. Now leave me, I have important business to attend to," her mother commanded.

Aisleen did as she was told. She knew that her mother's "important business" was going to see yet another lover behind her father's back. It wasn't hard for her to do so; her father was almost always away on business, and only Aisleen was old enough (Or smart enough) to understand what was happening. Why her father remained with that woman was a mystery to her, but she never bothered to ask him. Love, she knew, was a delicate subject, and one she did not understand, so she did not bother to talk about it.

She returned to her room, and, looking through her closet, found something appropriate to wear for Saturday and set it aside. That done, she went to her desk to return to her homework. She really couldn't understand why her mother said she would never amount to anything. She got straight A's in school, and always had. Aisleen guessed her mother was judging by her lack of social skills, which Aisleen could totally see, but there were plenty of ways to make it in life without social skills. Weren't there?

}o{

The day of reckoning had come. Aisleen stood next to her mother, not too close, not too far, and tried to look confident. She had a feeling that she was failing at it. It was a summer luncheon, so it was held outdoors on nicely polished glass tables under flowery-looking umbrellas. It was the perfect day for the sort of thing. Sunny, with just a slight breeze, so that the white dress that Aisleen had chosen for the event fluttered around her legs pleasantly.

Aisleen was rather proud of her attire. For all that she resented her mother, Aisleen could not help but hope that one boy here might be special, and so pulled her unruly, red hair back into a braid, letting a few strands frame her face, which was pale and set with dark green eyes that were the only feature of hers that Aisleen liked. Hopefully it was enough to attract a boy with an interest in books and the like.

"Aisleen, stand straight and _smile,_" her mother hissed.

She gave it her best effort, but could not bring herself to smile. It felt too fake. Her mother made a tutting noise quickly before exhuberantly greeting a co-worker who she probably hated. Aisleen was introduced to the co-worker's son, Peter, and they were quickly sent to the table meant for teenagers.

"So, Aisleen, was it? That's a lovely name," Peter commented on their way to the table.

"Thank you," Aisleen replied. "Peter is a good name. It's like Peter the Great."

"Peter the Great? I'm afraid I'm not good at history," he said, with a half-smile.

"Oh, not history, fantasy. Haven't you ever read the Chronicles of Narnia?"

"I haven't, no. Sorry," he said quickly, his smile now gone completely.

Aisleen decided she should shut up now. "No, I'm sorry... I'm being silly."

"Hey, cheer up, it's not so bad to like fantasy novels. You're lucky you even get to read them." he said, his smile returning. Aisleen had to admit, his smile was fairly attractive.

"What, are your parents the kind that force you to read only the books of 'educational value'?" Aisleen asked, for all that she had told herself to shut up.

Peter laughed; the sound of it made Aisleen happy. "Yeah, you hit the nail on the head. How'd you get so lucky?"

"My father encourages me to read any sort of book I enjoy, as long as I have a wide variety of titles," Aisleen explained.

"Oh? Sounds like your father is a wonderful man. So then, with such freedom, how do you do in school?" he inquired.

"My grades are well enough," Aisleen replied modestly.

"How well?" Peter prodded.

"Straight-A well," Aisleen admitted bluntly.

"Wow, you really are lucky! Your parents must adore you!"

Aisleen looked down at this. "Sure... Yeah,"

The luncheon continued in a similar fashion. Peter introduced Aisleen to the other teens attending, all who seemed very pleasant to Aisleen. She was almost surprised at herself for thinking that she had no social skills. This was easy!

However, all good things had to come to and end. Aisleen had merely gone to the bathroom, and when she came out, she was apprehended by her mother.

"Aisleen Leighann, what is this I'm hearing about you being a complete braggart?" her mother demanded furiously.

Aisleen was at a loss for words. Where had this come from?

"Oh don't give me that look, you stupid girl. I heard the other teens talking-they didn't realize I was nearby-and they were talking about how you were just going on and on about your good grades, how _spoiled rotten_ you are!" her mother spat, gripping Aisleen's arm tightly.

"I-I wasn't bragging!" Aisleen insisted. "They were asking me questions and I tried my best to be modest but-"

"Oh, just shut up you simpering idiot!" her mother screeched. "God, why do I have to have such a daughter? I've done everything I could for you, _everything, _and this is how you repay me?"

Aisleen let her mother go on. It was all lines from a book to her, but they were really starting to get on her nerves. She was sick and tired of it. She just wanted to run. Run and hide and start her own life without her mother.

Her mother finished, and allowed her daughter to escape her presence. Aisleen was quiet for the rest of the luncheon. She tried to identify any wicked gleam, any false smiles upon the faces of those around her, but she could not sense any. Was it all of them, or just a few? Was Peter one of them? She hoped not, but at the same time, she didn't care. She wanted to get away from all of them, from everyone who thought she wasn't good enough.

It was not a moment later when she realized she could. Aisleen was surprised at herself for forgetting her birthday. After all, it was her eighteenth. Regardless, it was tomorrow. By the time the police were notified (If her mother even cared enough to do that) she'd not only be long gone, but legally on her own. They could not bring her back.

Upon her arrival home, she did not wait for her mother to chew her out. She hurried to her room and locked herself in. She hurriedly changed from her dress to jeans and a t-shirt and sweater. She grabbed a good-sized duffel bag and began to pack. For now she should only take the necessities: Clothes, hygenic necessities, her ID and all the money she had. She looked at her books with a pang of regret. Surely it would not hurt to at least bring a few, would it? She shook her head, and instead placed several journals and a few pens and pencils in the bag. Taking her books would not be a good idea. Once she had a job and a place to live, she could get them back, whether she came her and got them or bought brand new copies (Probably the latter; once she realized Aisleen was gone her mother would probably burn everything she left behind).

Aisleen waited until all was silent throughout the house. She crept out of her room and downstairs. Carefully, so as to not wake anyone, she took her bike from the garage and through the living room, out the front door. She locked the door, hid her key in a potted plant, and rode away.

In her heart, Aisleen felt the first stirrings of an adventure. Rarely had she been allowed out on her own, and never at night. The feeling of freedom, _true _freedom, was wonderful. Still, she was aware that if she ran into trouble she would have a slim chance of escaping. But just in case she had brought a flashlight, pepper spray, and a tazer. The tazer she had actually stolen from her mother, but she was sure that her mother wouldn't miss it; it was one of many.

Riding downtown, Aisleen checked the time. It was two hours until she was eighteen. She decided she would hang out in various restaraunts until she could legally check into a cheap motel on her own.

She was in the middle of formulating plans for her new future when suddenly someone jumped out in front of her. She almost ran into the guy, she was so deep in thought, but thankfully her reflexes were rather good.

"Hello," said the man pleasantly.

"Hello..." Aisleen replied quietly.

"What's a young lady like yourself doing out at this time of night?" he asked.

'Trying to avoid people like you,' she thought, but did not have the courage to say such a thing. "On my way to a cheap motel," she told him. It was the truth... in a couple hours.

"Nah, you don't need to go to a cheap motel." he stepped closer to her, and Aisleen caught a whiff of alcohol and another, more pungent scent that she assumed was drugs. "At least, unless we're goin' together, or somethin' like that."

Aisleen scooted her bike backwards as the man advanced closer to her. She was hoping to get just enough space to take off on her bike around him. Once she got that chance, she would be long gone before the man could even take another step.

Unfortunately, he was more capable than he smelled. He lunged forward and grabbed the handlebars of her bike with one hand and reached for her with the other. Aisleen yelped and lost her balance, bringing the bike down as she fell. The man, who seemed to be grasping the handlebars very tightly, was also brought down. Aisleen scrambled off her bike and bolted away from the man, not really paying attention to where she was going.

As she ran, Aisleen fished out the tazer and pepper spray from her backpack. Who knew how fast the man could run (If he could run at all), and what if there were others like him around? It was best to be prepared. She stopped for a minute to catch her breath, and to her dismay heard the man stumbling after her, calling out as he did so. She had to keep running.

At some point Aisleen realized that she had run off the road and into a wooded area. She could barely see anything, and was continuously tripping and running into thorny bushes. Still the man was pursuing her. As she was beginning to truly despair, Aisleen saw a light. It was barely a flicker, but it was enough to give her hope.

She ran towards it with all her might. She didn't know what it was, but she was running blindly; she didn't need to know. But it was just one thing after another for Aisleen. She didn't see a large root in front of her feet, causing her to trip and tumble down a thorny hill. She dropped the tazer and the pepper spray, and realized that the light was getting bigger, brighter, and most definitely closer.

It was then that something interesting happened. Aisleen wasn't sure how it happened, but somehow, she fell into the light.


	2. Chapter 2

Keladry of Mindelan didn't often allow herself to become too complacent. She preferred to remain alert, ready for any surprise, pleasant or not, that life might throw at her. Unfortunately for her, things had become so routine lately that it was hard for anyone to not be complacent. That included the commander of New Hope, whether she liked it or not.

It was something she would kick herself over later.

It was just another day at New Hope. A nice day, though. One that encouraged the young children of the town to be more rambunctious than usual. It was sunny, warm, but had a nice cool breeze that made everyone slow down and appreciate the beauty of the world around them. Kel would miss it. The war was petering out, coming to an official end. And this town was starting to be able to stand on it's own; it wouldn't need Kel or those under her command once the war was done with. She knew she might soon be assigned somewhere else.

Kel felt especially bad for Tobe, who was also aware of the situation. He could not bear to be parted with her, but at the same time he'd established such deep friendships within the community. Kel had thought about suggesting that he stay here, perhaps under the care of Mistress Fanche, but she shook such a thought from her mind. Tobe would never consider, she knew. He would insist on staying by Kel's side, no matter how much it pained him to leave others behind.

Today though, she shook such worrisome thoughts from her mind. It was a beautiful day, and she intended on enjoying it as much as she possibly could. She performed her morning exercises outside, breathing in the fresh, morning air, with Tobe performing his own exercises nearby. Then came breakfast.

Everyone, minus Neal and other people who despised mornings, seemed to be in a cheery mood. Kel chatted with an animated Yukimi, who was recently married to Neal and insisted on staying with him for the remainder of the war. Various people passed by and gave their morning greetings to Kel. She greeted them with equal pleasantry, her mood becoming lighter and lighter with each person.

"You seem happy today, Lady Knight," Mistress Fanche commented as she passed by.

Kel smiled at New Hope's headwoman. "Aren't you, Mistress Fanche?"

"Happy enough. You look particularly giddy though," Fanche replied.

"Perhaps the air is ripe with something to do that to me," Kel mused with good humour.

Fanche smiled wryly. "Perhaps I'll see if the cooks are having a good laugh at your expense; surely whatever it is, it's in your food."

They bantered like this back and forth, Kel being surprisingly humorous, for a minute or so before Fanche decided that she had business she should probably attend to. Kel was just leaving the mess hall when she encountered Irnai, the seer child. Her guard went up immediately; usually Irnai went about her business while Kel went about hers, unless the Chamber had something to say to her, which wasn't often lately.

"Protector," said the omniscient voice of the Chamber. "Trouble is brewing."

"That's... informative. Any more vague conjectures?" Kel asked, her temper always short when it came to the Chamber.

"Protector, do you remember when I explained how your world is like a fishbowl I surround?" the Chamber asked.

Kel was a bit taken aback. The Chamber was being surprisingly direct. "Yes, I do."

"Yours is not the only fishbowl I surround. There are many other fishbowls, all of which I watch, some of which I even interfere, if need be. Here I am a present force, an important part of your culture. In other worlds, however, the mortals living within them do not even believe in my existence," the Chamber explained.

Kel scratched her head. "Alright, but what has this got to do with me?" she asked.

"Your world and another have been connected, by a force I cannot see," the Chamber said, with a hint of what she thought was irritation. "Already things are leaking between worlds, though no one has yet to notice it. It does not bode well. What I do know though, is that a mortal has slipped through a leak. And I know that you and her together will seal the two worlds off from each other. If you and her do not accomplish this, the two worlds will collide, everything will be destroyed, and it will become a large region of Chaos."

"But, doesn't that require magic? Magic I don't have, in case you've forgotten?" Kel asked, feeling slightly panicked by this whole situation. Two whole universes, and she was half of the force that was supposed to save them?

"Your part does not require magic. And though the other hero hails from a world without magic, it is her part that will require magic. Of that much I am sure."

"So you know all this, but you don't know who's behind these... breaks, in the worlds? Do you even have an idea?" Kel asked.

"I have an idea, of course," the Chamber replied. "Uusoae, the goddess of chaos and discord."

Simply hearing the name of the suspected perpetrator sent shivers down Kel's spine. 'A goddess of chaos,' she thought with dread. Kel hoped that the Chamber was somehow wrong, that the real criminal was closer to being mortal than a goddess. Somehow though, she had the feeling that the Chamber was not often wrong.

The girl, Irnai, wobbled a bit. Kel held her steady, thinking the Chamber had released the girl. "A servant of Chaos comes. Prepare yourself," the Chamber said, and then finally left the small girl.

As soon as that happened, Kel heard horns in the distance. First placing Irnai in the care of a woman who took care of orphaned children, Kel raced to the wall of the town. Merric was already there, as was Neal, looking out into the distance without a spyglass. Kel looked where they were looking and paled.

In the distance, a dark cloud rumbled close to the ground, crackling and devouring everything it rolled over, or at least seeming to.

"That's not normal magic," Neal said, his tone heavy with concern.

"Obviously. So then what is it?" Merric tried to ask in a nonchalant manner, but the worry was apparent in his voice as well.

Kel took several deep breaths before saying anything. She needed to appear in control of the situation while she was still commander. "If the Chamber of the Ordeal is to be believed, that is a servant of the goddess of Chaos."

"The Chamber?" Neal and Merric questioned. Kel nodded, and they both looked more concerned than they already were.

"Merric, prepare two squads, one for you, one for me," she ordered as calmly as possible.

"Only two?" he asked.

"We need to know what we're really up against. If, in the event this servant of Chaos is too overwhelming, we need to at least be able to send a signal back to the village so that proper evacuation measures can be taken. The villagers will need those extra squads then. However, in the case that we are able to take on this enemy, but need reinforcements, put two squads on standby," Kel explained. Merric nodded and bounded off to do as he was bid.

Over the shouting, Kel said to Neal, before he could say anything, "I need you to stay here and make sure that a panic doesn't ensue while we're out there. And in the event that I perish in battle-"

"Kel," Neal near exclaimed.

Kel pressed on. "If I am slain the village still needs an able commander to lead them. You'd be the one to do that, and I especially can't afford to lose the head healer."

Neal grumbled, but for once did not protest. He understood the situation. They were going against an unknown enemy with an unknown power. Anything could happen. Before Kel left to confront the enemy, Neal squeezed her shoulder in a silent plea to be careful. She placed her hand on his, communicating what she hoped was reassurance that she would be fine, even though she wasn't all that sure that she would be.

Tobe had brought all the necessaries of battle, as usual. As Kel readied herself to ride straight into uncertainity, Tobe asked, "Lady, this ain't no normal enemy, is it?"

Kel decided to be blunt with Tobe. "No Tobe, it isn't. We aren't exactly sure what we're facing, but we have to face it anyways. But you need to remain calm. If you remain calm, then other children can remain calm, and if worst comes to worst, you all will be able to do what's needed because you're level-headed. Do you understand me?"

Tobe nodded and said, "You still have to come back though."

Kel mounted Peachblossom and looked down at the little man. In her chest she felt a pang of guilt. What if she didn't return? What would Tobe do then? She shook her head, either way Tobe would be fine, she was sure of it. She told him this, and prepared to lead her troops into battle.

They rode cautiously, but with purpose. They were scared to meet the enemy, but were also afraid for the townspeople, should the enemy be allowed too close. Many innocent lives depended on them, they knew.

Kel, while she rode, brought out her spyglass to scan the front of the dark mass that was crawling towards them. It was a while before she spotted anything of interest, and when she did, she was fairly shocked. A single, aged-looking woman was the only being that Kel could see, marching confidently in front of the cloud, as though leading it on.

"We've got what looks like a mage here. I don't see anyone else with her, but who knows what could be hidden within that cloud. Stay on your toes, men," she called to everyone.

"So, the Chamber said this would happen?" Merric asked tentatively.

"It said that our world is connected with another, and could possibly collide, causing mass destruction and chaos. As for our present situation, it merely said that a servant of Chaos was coming. I would assume that the mage in the front of that cloud is that servant it spoke of," Kel said.

Finally, they approached near enough for the woman to notice them. She stopped her advance. Kel order all men, including Merric, to keep a good distance and have their bows ready, and to fire if they saw anything emerge from the dark cloud, or if the woman lashed out and attacked. She rode a bit closer to the mage, drawing a griffin fletched arrow as she did so.

The aged woman flashed a wrinkly grin at Kel, "What might I be doin' for ye, lady?"

"As a Lady Knight of the realm I require that you cease this activity and immediately explain the reason for it," Kel demanded in as strong a voice as she could muster.

The wizened woman cakcled. "Oh, now I can't be doin' that now, lady. My mistress would be quite displeased, you see."

"And who might your mistress be?" Kel asked, hoping for an answer that would give hard evidence for the Chamber.

"Lady, I can't go telling you that! Now, if you'll kindly step aside and allow me to progress, I will kindly spare your lives, or at least grant you all the mercy of a swift death."

Kel glared. "Then you leave me no choice."

She fired three arrows in rapid succession. The first two were blocked or deflected by the mage's strange magic, but the third seemed to cut through it, catching her right shoulder. The old mage screeched and the cloud behind her rippled. Kel didn't have to say a word to her men before a barrage of arrows swiftly peppered the woman's body. She let out an earsplitting scream; half the men lowered their bows to cover their ears.

Meanwhile, the cloud writhed and fluctuated violently. Everyone watched it and the dying woman before them intently, watching for any danger to them. Finally, as the woman's final scream rattled away, the dark cloud flowed quickly into her corpse. It created a strong gust of wind that made all but the calmest horses balk. Peachblossom became a bit shifty, but otherwise stayed where he was.

They watched in horror as the woman's body began to dissolve, but the darkness still went inside her, somehow. As the final shreds of her body withered away, the remaining darkness gathered together and seemed to explode, creating a blinding light that made them all shield their eyes.

Kel was the first to look back, and what found shocked her, for rather than a crater or empty space, there was a young girl, just a couple years younger than herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Finally, after two chapters, I have a review! Thank you missgrant, for being supportive of my general creativity. It is much appreciated. As always, I don't own anything that Tamora Pierce owns because, well, she owns it. Not me. Sorry for not placing a disclaimer in chapter 2, please don't sue me. NOTE: THE TITLE OF THIS STORY IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE VERY SOON. THE SUMMARY WILL STAY THE SAME THOUGH, SO IT WON'T BE THAT HARD TO FIND.

}o{

Aisleen was, to say the least, disoriented. She couldn't see straight, not after being tossed around like a ragdoll after being swallowed by that weird light. She was wondering is she had maybe passed out, as it seemed like it was now daytime. She heard voices, but her vision was still unclear, so she couldn't see the people talking. Aisleen tried standing up, but to no avail. She wasn't able to even stand.

The next thing she knew, someone was grabbing her, pulling her up, firmly but gently. Aisleen didn't resist, but was still a bit cautious. The person loosened their grip slightly, only to tighten again when Aisleen threatened to flop back onto the ground.

"Are you alright?" asked a woman's voice.

It was at this point that Aisleen finally blinked the bleariness out of her eyes. The first thing she saw was a pair of eyes. Hazel eyes, she noted. And those lashes were fairly long. Aisleen looked at the medieval wear of the woman, whose hair was short and stature was large. Her eyes widened; it couldn't be. There was no way.

"I asked if you're alright?" the woman repeated, a little more sternly this time.

Aisleen's attention snapped to the question. "Alright yes, just a little disoriented."

"Do you think you can stand now?" the hazel-eyed woman asked.

Aisleen nodded, and the woman let go. She faltered, but only for a second. She stood straight and observed the area around her. It was definitely not where she had been the night before. This area was more open, and she was in the middle of a dirt road. There were forests nearby, and mountains further off. Aisleen looked back at the woman.

"Excuse me, but where am I?" Aisleen asked.

The woman looked at her. "You're in the northern region of Tortall." She paused, looking at Aisleen's clothing. "Where are you from?"

Aisleen, unsteady from what she had just been told and knowing she was dangerously out of place, decided to give a vague truth. "I'm from another world entirely."

The woman's eyes widened, for only a split second, then reverted back to a bland, unreadable expression. "Very well. You'll come with us. I'm Keladry of Mindelan, commander of New Hope. And you are...?"

"Aisleen Rendon..." Aisleen replied, unsure whether she should address her properly or act the fool. She decided on the latter, for now.

}o{

Immediately upon entering the gates of New Hope, questions were tossed at them, many of them asking if Aisleen was the cause of the fearsome occurence of just a while ago. All Kel said was that Aisleen was a result, but not the cause. Otherwise she put Peachblossom in the stable and asked Neal and Merric to meet her at headquarters, where she banished everyone else.

"Alright, what happened?" Neal demanded as soon as they were assured of their privacy.

Kel and Merric explained, informing not only Neal, but Aisleen as well. As they talked, Aisleen wondered. If she was able to be dragged from her world to one that was supposed to be entirely fantasy, wasn't there magic in her world as well as this one? Perhaps it had nothing to do with magic, Aisleen thought.

"And after the bright flash of light, this girl, Aisleen Rendon she says, was there," Kel finished.

Neal was stunned, to say the least. "How-what-but that..." Neal trailed off into simple grumbling.

In the meantime, Merric asked, "Kel, does this have anything to do with what the Chamber told you?"

"That bloody Chamber is talking to you again?" Neal inquired.

"It is. And I think this has everything to do with what the Chamber told me," Kel said simply, looking back at Aisleen.

Aisleen's curiousity burned with the desire to ask what the Chamber said, but she held herself. This wasn't a book, it was now real life. She had to hold her tongue and play it smart, no matter what she wanted to know. She just had a feeling that it wouldn't be a good idea to reveal that she knew anything about this place, these people.

Thankfully, she didn't have to act like she was clueless for long, to a point at least. Neal asked what the Chamber had said, and Kel obliged.

As Aisleen listened to the explaination, a panic rose within her. She was supposed to save, not only her world but this world as well? Albeit she would apparently have Keladry of Mindelan at her side, but Aisleen couldn't fight at all, much less use magic!

Suddenly a soft knock came from the door, and a little girl entered. Aisleen assumed this must be Irnai, the seer child, and tensed in her seat, resisting the urge to scream at the Chamber, insist that she was not, in fact, the hero it was looking for.

"This is the girl," stated the Chamber simply. Hearing it's voice for the first time, Aisleen got shivers. She would've never been able to imagine a voice such as that.

"We assumed as much," Kel replied drily. "So what do we do now?"

"Excercise caution," the Chamber said. "Your battle was won too easily. The mastermind behind this plan obviously wanted to bring her here, not being able to reach her in her world."

"That much is apparent. But why would they need to bring her here?" Kel asked, crossing her arms.

The child's eyes rested on Aisleen, who became very unsettled by the omniscient depths of the look she was given. She hoped she was retaining her composure, at least. "The child has as much potential to be a source of Chaos as she does Order."

"What?" Aisleen exclaimed, being unable to help herself. Irnai's expression did not change in the slightest.

"It is no coincidence that a servant of Chaos was so easily defeated. She was sent out for the specific purpose of bringing you here. You are of more use to the... perpetrator, than anyone here. Or at least, you have the potential to be more useful," the Chamber explained, not seeming to be annoyed from repeating itself.

Aisleen sighed and said nothing more. She knew from her books that the Chamber knew far more than she ever could; it would be pointless to argue. Meanwhile Kel questioned the Chamber further about the situation at hand.

"So what now?" she asked. "What do we have to look forward to next?"

At first the Chamber was silent. Then it said, "You wait. The perpetrator will want the girl to gain confidence in this world, discover some of her power. It is necessary that she does, of course, but you will need to guide her in the right direction, so that she upholds Order, rather than descend into Chaos."

"That's it? We wait? While the two worlds further seep into each other and bring us closer to becoming a void of Chaos?" Kel demanded impatiently.

"The collision of worlds is not something that happens overnight, Protector. It will take time. And you will use this time to train this girl so that the worlds may be saved," the Chamber finished. It released Irnai, who was caught by a stunned-looking Neal.

"I now see why you hold the Chamber in so much contempt," he stated simply.

"You don't even know the half of it," Kel said exasperatedly. She looked Aisleen up and down. "We've definitely got some work to do."

Aisleen sighed, but she knew it was the truth. She'd never been one for athletics, and she'd always had a ridiculously high metabolism. More than once she'd been told that she looked as though she might break in half, or be carried away by a slight breeze.

"Anyways," Merric said. "We've got jobs other than training her. Like say, the panicked villagers?"

Kel swore under her breath. "They'll want to know what happened. Gods know if they'd actually believe the truth," she muttered.

"Just tell them it was an illusion created by a lone mage who'd gone insane," Neal said simply. "That would be easy enough to believe."

"It would, but would you mind going to tell them for me?" Kel asked.

"Of course, Lady Knight," Neal said with a slight grin, carrying Irnai with him out of the room.

"Merric, will you go with him? If anyone asks for me I'm writing a report of the incident," she said. Merric nodded and followed Neal out of the room.

For a while, there was silence. Kel did indeed fetch a quill and some parchment, but the quill never touched the paper. Instead, she looked at Aisleen. She studied her closely, analyzing what needed to be done. First and foremost the girl needed new clothes. The ones she wore now were strange and foreign, and would not help her if she was to thrive in this world.

Physically, she was a stick, plain and simple. She'd flourish more as a lady at court than a warrior on the field. Still, Kel thought, the Chamber said she was the one. Surely the girl had some potential, even if Kel couldn't see it quite yet. It would be difficult, to be sure, as Aisleen seemed to be about the same age as Kel, maybe a year or two younger.

At the same time, Aisleen tried not to stare at Kel. Now that the shock of actually being in this world had worn off, Aisleen was thrilled. At the same time, she was nervous. How long did she have to become stronger? How hard would it be? She sighed and decided that it didn't matter, that she would have to try her best no matter what. The fate of the world depended on her.

"So," Aisleen said timidly. "When do we start?"

At this Kel stood up, an air of business about her. "What better time is there than now?"


End file.
